Crixus' Obsession
by Diva35801
Summary: Crixus and Naevia are reunited. But she has not been able to be intimate with Crixus. And he has begun to obsess over what one would consider the most mundane of body parts - Naevia's neck.


Background: This was inspired the small touch of Crixus fingers across Naevia's neck after he walked away from making peace with Agron. It was just so intimate and sweet. I had to write something paying homage to it.

Crixus' Obsession

Crixus sat eating his meal across from Naevia. She was an arm's length away but the distance seemed insurmountable. He had the urge to reach across the table and touch her but he dared not. Naevia could not be rushed to accept his touch. He was content to allow everything to move at the pace that was acceptable to her. But that did not mean that he could not look his fill. And look he did. He watched her lips as she took each bite. He stared at her high cheek bones as she carefully chewed each piece of food. And then came his favorite part. She swallowed. This is when his gaze lowered to her neck. Her beautiful, slender neck. The skin, he knew, was soft and fragrant. He remembered vividly how he would bury his face in it, lay soft kisses upon the skin while they made love behind the stairs in the ludus. The memory of those nights haunted him. Bewitched him. Mesmerized him. He knew that if he kept faith in their love, Naevia would return to him. Then he would once more place languid kisses upon her neck. He was lost in his thoughts as she lifted her head to notice his stare. He was caught, he thought with embarrassment, and a fear that she would see his hunger and pull away. Yet there was no rebuke or fear in her eyes. Only interest. They shared a smile.

Naevia had noticed Crixus staring at her neck often. The first time she noticed it was during their evening meal a few days past. At first, she thought he had just been thinking without knowing where his eyes had come to rest. But after catching him staring in that same direction on numerous occasions, she had wondered if something was amiss. As they ate, trained, conversed, he watched her neck. So she sought out Chadara to borrow one of the few looking glasses that was in the camp. She used it to look at her neck to see if she could determine what Crixus had found so fascinating. She could see nothing wrong. Her neck looked the same as is always had. If only she could say the same for her face and her hair. She immediately passed the glass back to Chadara and thanked her for the use of it.

**X X X X**

Agron, a skilled gladiator, has been paired with Crixus in contest against Oenomaus and Gannicus. He manages to hold his own early in the competition but is no real threat to Oenomaus, his teacher and a former Champion of Capua. As Agron lay unconscious, Crixus was left to fight them both alone until he too was bested. As he lay beaten in the dirt, Naevia bounded down the stairs to him to help him up. As she did so, Nasir and Agron, having found his own bearings, approached. The two gladiators made peace and she and Nasir were pleased with their progress. For it was a peace that they both had desired for some time. Agron and Crixus turned to walk away to seek drink together. Naevia looked towards Nasir for a shared moment of relief when she felt it - Crixus fingers lightly glide across her neck. The touch so light that she could almost mistake it for unintentional. But she knew Crixus better than that.

Crixus fingers burned and his breath caught at the feel of Naevia's skin. He dared not look back at her to see if she had noticed. He was glad that his back was to her so that she wouldn't see the look of bliss on his face from so slight a touch, lest she rush herself into an intimacy that she was not ready to give or totally turn from his passions altogether. But this moment… it would carry him for days without another.

**X X X X**

Naevia stood with Crixus sharing a drink in the courtyard. She felt happy - almost giddy from the wine. With each swallow she took, she noticed his eyes dart to her throat.

"Crixus, does my neck offend you," she asked him raising her hand self-consciously to trail her fingers lightly over it.

"No," he said in a hoarse whisper.

"Then why does gaze linger? "

"Because of your beauty," he said looking into her eyes. "Memories of our love and laying soft kiss upon neck assault brain." He raised his hand slowly in the direction of her neck. But before making contact, closed his hand into a tight fist and lowered it back to his side. "Sight makes concentrating on task at hand difficult," he said with a small smile.

Those same memories assaulted her. And the feelings of arousal that accompanied those memories immediately coursed throughout her body.

"Would it please you to touch neck?" she asked.

"Yes," he said eagerly.

"I think I would share the pleasure," she said remembering the feel of his touch earlier. "You may touch and kiss me there now if you so desire."

Crixus looked into her eyes as he slowly raised his hands. He laid one hand flat on each shoulder and carefully moved his hands up over her collarbone to the sides of her neck. He used both thumbs to lightly stroke the skin beneath her ears as he searched her eyes for sign of discomfort. As he did so, she felt the butterflies in her stomach and the aching between her legs. No discomfort came. She smiled her ease and he smiled, thankfully, in return. He lowered one hand to her waist and pulled her gently into his arms. He placed his other hand on her cheek and traced the thumb softly along her jawline to rest in the center of her chin. With a slight movement of his thumb, he titled her chin higher. Then he lowered his head as she closed her eyes, preparing to bask in the joy of being in Crixus' arms again.

Crixus placed his nose directly against her skin at the base of her neck and slowly breathed in her scent. His blood rose at the feel of her in his arms and the earthy, yet sweet, smell of her. A smell that he had missed beyond reason.

"You smell of flowers in first bloom of spring," he said allowing his breath to waft lightly over her skin as he trailed his nose up a few inches, forcing her to tilt her head back further to give him better access.

"Crixus," she moaned softly as she dropped her cup to the ground. She slowly raised her hand to his shoulders and he held his breath in anticipation of her pushing him away. After a few seconds, she slid one hand into the hair at the nape of his neck and the other down to lie gently on his upper arm. Crixus said a prayer of thanks to the gods that she allowed him to continue.

He placed an open mouth kiss to front of her neck and allowed his tongue to sneak out to lightly caress her skin. He felt her shudder in his arms.

"You taste of the sweetest nectar from the ripest fruit," he said allowing is breath to blow against that spot that he had kissed. She shuddered again. He liked the feel of her response. In order to see it repeated he kissed her neck in the same fashion again and again. Until both of their breathing was labored. He trailed kisses from the front of her neck to just below her ear.

"Naevia," he whispered.

"Yes," she said breathlessly as she squeezed his arm, testing the strength of his embrace.

"Are you sure this is not more than you can bear. I would not rush you," he continued to whisper in her ear.

"I relish your touch," she said.

Crixus raised his head to look into her face. He needed to see her eyes to make sure that she was fully accepting of what was occurring between them. Head tilted back for his pleasure, skin flushed, breathing labored, she looked beautiful – ever the goddess. She was fully aroused and he would give anything to see her, and himself, fully satisfied at this moment. After a few heartbeats,she lowered her head and looked up into his eyes. He saw the passion burning in them. It was one that he knew was mirrored in his own.

"Are you su-," he began. But before he could finish she pulled him down into a kiss that was so fierce and possessive that he forgot his question. Then instinct took over. An instinct fueled by the many months of desiring her and not having her. He knew that they were getting out of hand to be outside, in the presence of so many others. Yet, he dared not stop what was happening out of fear that it might not resume if he changed locations. Then he remembered the walkways under the wall. For their sakes, no one had better be there! If so, he would probably kill them with his bare hands if their presence forced Naevia to cease kissing him. As he kissed her hungrily, his momentum propelled them backwards through the hallway until her back was against the wall. So caught up in the moment - that he had almost taken Naevia to a place that she had not yet verbally agreed to go. He raised his head from exploring her smooth skin to look into her expressive eyes.

_"Forgive me. I lose myself in the moment"_

_"It is I who was lost and your touch that guides me home"_


End file.
